Được (Can, OK, To Get) in Vietnamese

In Brief

Được is a highly useful Vietnamese word for saying that something is possible, permitted, successful, acceptable, or received. After a verb, it often means “can” or “manage to” (nói được); before a verb, it can mean “be allowed to” or mark a favorable result (được nghỉ, được khen). On its own, Được! means “OK!”, while Không được! means “You can’t!” or “Not allowed!”

Overview

English spreads the meanings of được across many words: can, be allowed to, manage to, get, receive, be, and OK. Vietnamese often connects these ideas through one basic notion: a possibility or result becomes available to someone. The exact English translation therefore depends on both word order and context.

This is an A1 topic because được appears constantly in simple requests, answers, rules, and statements about ability. The beginner rule is manageable: learn verb + được for what someone can successfully do, được + verb for permission or a received result, and Được/Không được as complete replies.

Unlike an English modal verb, được does not change form for person or time. Vietnamese verbs do not conjugate: tôi nói được, cô ấy nói được, and họ nói được all keep the same form. Time is normally understood from context or shown with words such as hôm qua “yesterday,” đã “already/past,” or sẽ “future.”

How It Works

1. Verb + được: ability or successful result

Put được after the main verb when the focus is on whether the action is possible or successfully achieved.

Pattern	Typical meaning	Example
subject + verb + được	can do; manage to do	Tôi đọc được. — I can read it.
subject + verb + object + được	can successfully do something	Tôi nói tiếng Việt được. — I can speak Vietnamese.
subject + verb + được + object	can obtain/produce the object	Tôi mua được vé. — I managed to buy a ticket.

With skills, both Tôi nói được tiếng Việt and Tôi nói tiếng Việt được can occur. The first keeps được close to the verb; the second places it after the object and can sound like an assessment of whether speaking Vietnamese is possible. For a beginner, nói được tiếng Việt is a safe, common pattern.

The same structure can describe suitability rather than a learned skill:

• Cái này ăn được. — This is edible / You can eat this.
• Nước này uống được. — This water is safe or suitable to drink.
• Máy vẫn dùng được. — The machine is still usable.

Here, English usually prefers an adjective such as “edible” or “usable,” but Vietnamese naturally uses verb + được.

2. Được + verb: permission

Place được before an action when someone has permission or gets the opportunity to do it.

Pattern	Meaning	Example
subject + được + verb	be allowed/get to do	Hôm nay tôi được về sớm. — I’m allowed to leave early today.
subject + không được + verb	must not/not be allowed to do	Bạn không được hút thuốc ở đây. — You must not smoke here.
subject + được phép + verb	be permitted to do	Khách được phép chụp ảnh. — Visitors are permitted to take photos.

Được phép is more explicit than được alone. It is useful in rules, notices, or situations where you want “permission” to be unmistakable. In everyday conversation, được + verb is often enough.

Notice the important contrast:

• Tôi lái xe được. — I can drive; I have the ability or it is feasible.
• Tôi được lái xe. — I am allowed to drive; someone or some rule permits it.

English uses can for both ideas, so English speakers must pay special attention to the position of được.

3. Verb + được không?: asking whether something is possible or acceptable

A very common yes/no question places được không after the proposed action. Không is the ordinary negative word “not”; in this frame, the pair asks “is that possible/allowed/OK?”

Pattern	Natural English meaning
verb + được không?	Can …? / Is it possible to …?
subject + verb + được không?	Can the subject do …?
request + được không?	Would it be OK if …?

Examples include Tôi ngồi đây được không? “Can I sit here?” and Ngày mai gặp được không? “Can we meet tomorrow?” The subject can be omitted when it is clear from the situation.

Useful short answers are:

• Được. — Yes, that’s fine / You can.
• Được chứ. — Of course / Certainly.
• Không được. — No, you can’t / It isn’t possible.

The exact force comes from context. Không được may state inability, refusal, or prohibition, so tone matters.

4. Được as “receive” or “get”

Before a noun phrase (a noun and the words that belong with it), được can mean receiving or obtaining something, often as a benefit.

• Tôi được một món quà. — I got a gift.
• Mỗi người được hai vé. — Each person gets two tickets.
• Bạn được bao nhiêu điểm? — How many points did you get?

In many contexts, Vietnamese also uses a more specific verb such as nhận “receive.” Được highlights the resulting benefit or allocation rather than the physical act of receiving.

5. Được before another verb: a favorable passive or received result

A passive construction presents the subject as the person or thing affected by an action. Vietnamese often uses được before the action when the result is favorable, welcome, or simply presented as a benefit.

Pattern	Example	Meaning
subject + được + verb	Lan được khen.	Lan was praised.
subject + được + person + verb	Lan được cô giáo khen.	Lan was praised by the teacher.
subject + được + verb + object/complement	Tôi được tặng một cuốn sách.	I was given a book.

This structure overlaps with the permission pattern. Tôi được mời means “I was invited,” not normally “I am permitted to invite,” because context identifies tôi as the recipient of the invitation. Vietnamese relies heavily on meaning and situation rather than on different verb endings.

6. Fixed conversational uses

Several short expressions are worth learning as complete chunks:

Expression	Meaning
Được.	OK; yes; that works.
Được rồi.	All right; that’s enough; it’s settled.
Được chứ!	Of course!
Thế là được.	That will do; that’s good enough.
Không được!	No! Not allowed! That won’t work!

In được rồi, rồi suggests that the acceptable state has now been reached. Depending on tone, the phrase can warmly confirm an agreement or firmly mean “All right, enough now.”

Examples in Context

Vietnamese	English	Note
Ăn được.	It’s edible. / You can eat it.	Suitability: verb + được
Tôi nói được tiếng Anh.	I can speak English.	Ability
Em bé đi được rồi.	The baby can walk now.	Newly acquired ability
Cuối cùng tôi mua được vé.	I finally managed to buy a ticket.	Successful result
Hôm qua chúng tôi không gặp được cô ấy.	We couldn’t manage to meet her yesterday.	Failed result in the past
Hôm nay tôi được nghỉ.	I get to have today off.	Permission or favorable circumstance
Bạn được phép dùng điện thoại ở đây.	You are allowed to use your phone here.	Explicit permission
Tôi ngồi cạnh cửa sổ được không?	Can I sit by the window?	Polite request
Ngày mai giao hàng được không?	Can you deliver it tomorrow?	Checks feasibility
Được chứ, không vấn đề gì.	Of course; no problem.	Positive reply
Không được hút thuốc trong phòng.	Smoking is not allowed in the room.	Prohibition
Cô ấy được học bổng.	She received a scholarship.	Receiving a benefit
Nam được sếp khen.	Nam was praised by his boss.	Favorable passive
Tôi được bạn tặng một cuốn sách.	A friend gave me a book.	Recipient-focused result
Được rồi, chúng ta bắt đầu nhé.	All right, let’s begin.	Conversational acceptance

Common Mistakes

1. Using the same word order for ability and permission

• Wrong for the intended meaning: Tôi được lái xe. when you mean “I know how to drive.”
• Right: Tôi lái xe được.
• Why: Verb + được expresses ability or feasibility. Được + verb usually expresses permission or an opportunity: Tôi được lái xe means “I am allowed/get to drive.”

2. Copying English “can” into every context

• Unnatural for permission: Tôi làm việc này được. when the intended meaning is “I am permitted to do this.”
• Clearer: Tôi được làm việc này.
• Why: English can can mean either ability or permission. Vietnamese word order keeps those readings more distinct.

3. Forgetting that không moves with the meaning

• Wrong for a rule: Bạn làm được không ở đây.
• Right: Bạn không được làm việc đó ở đây. — You are not allowed to do that here.
• Why: For prohibition, use không được + verb. At the end of a clause, được không? forms a question: Bạn làm việc đó ở đây được không?

4. Treating được as a tense form

• Wrong idea: assuming mua được itself means “bought.”
• Right: Hôm qua tôi mua được vé. — Yesterday I managed to buy a ticket.
• Why: Được marks possibility or successful outcome, not past time. A time expression or context locates the event.

5. Translating every passive with được

• Awkward: Điện thoại của tôi được mất. for “My phone was lost.”
• Natural: Tôi bị mất điện thoại. or Điện thoại của tôi bị mất.
• Why: Được commonly presents a favorable received result. Bị commonly presents an unwanted or harmful experience. Neither word is a mechanical equivalent of English be.

Usage Notes

Được and có thể

Có thể also means “can” or “may.” It often presents possibility more neutrally, while post-verbal được frequently emphasizes practical ability or successful realization.

• Tôi có thể đến ngày mai. — I can/may come tomorrow.
• Tôi đến ngày mai được. — I can make it tomorrow; tomorrow works for me.
• Tôi đã sửa được máy. — I managed to fix the machine.

The distinction is not absolute, and the expressions can overlap. When the important idea is “succeeded in doing it,” verb + được is especially natural.

Politeness depends on the whole request

Cho tôi vào được không? “Can you let me in?” is a normal request, but được không? alone does not automatically make every command polite. Voice, relationship, pronouns, and softeners such as làm ơn “please” or sentence-final ạ all affect politeness. For example, Cho em hỏi một chút được không ạ? is a respectful way to ask “May I ask a quick question?”

Subjects are often omitted

Vietnamese can leave out the subject when everyone knows who is involved: Được không? “Is that OK?”; Được rồi “All right”; Không làm được “Can’t do it.” English translations often need to supply “I,” “you,” “it,” or “we.”

Beyond the Basics: Advanced Use

You do not need to master these distinctions at A1, but you will meet them often.

Được versus bị in passive-like constructions

Textbooks often teach được as a positive passive marker and bị as a negative one:

• Cô ấy được tăng lương. — She was given a raise.
• Cô ấy bị phạt. — She was punished.

This is a valuable first rule, but real usage is more flexible. Speakers may choose a neutral active sentence, omit the marker, or use được where the main point is that a result was attained rather than emotionally “good.” Context and the speaker’s viewpoint matter. It is safer to understand được as presenting an enabled, received, or attained result—not as a marker that guarantees happiness.

Được as a result complement

In combinations such as tìm được “manage to find,” nhớ được “be able to remember,” and giải quyết được “manage to solve,” được acts like a result complement: a word after the verb showing that the intended result was reached. Negating it often emphasizes failure despite an attempt:

• Tôi không tìm được chìa khóa. — I couldn’t find the key.
• Tôi chưa giải quyết được vấn đề. — I haven’t managed to solve the problem yet.

Chưa means “not yet,” so chưa + verb + được is especially useful for unfinished goals.

Different scopes create different meanings

Compare these three arrangements:

• Tôi không được đi. — I am not allowed to go.
• Tôi đi không được. — I cannot go / Going is not possible for me.
• Tôi đi được không? — Can I go? / Is it OK if I go?

The vocabulary is almost identical, but placement determines whether the sentence gives a prohibition, states inability, or asks permission. Learning these as complete patterns is more reliable than translating one word at a time.

Practice Tips

1. Build three-way sets. Take one verb and say an ability statement, a permission statement, and a question: Tôi lái xe được; Tôi được lái xe; Tôi lái xe được không? This makes word order meaningful.
2. Collect successful-result verbs. Practice everyday combinations such as mua được, tìm được, làm được, hiểu được, and nhớ được. Add không and chưa to describe failure and “not yet.”
3. Listen for short replies. In conversations, notice the tone of Được, Được rồi, and Không được. Try to identify whether each means acceptance, permission, feasibility, or refusal.

Related Concepts

• Prerequisite: Basic Verb Structure — explains the stable Vietnamese verb form and basic subject–verb–object order that these patterns build on.